VIP Chapter 097: The Cursed Bracelet

The wind howled fiercely, carrying dense raindrops that pelted against the windowpane. A flash of lightning cut through the dark sky, followed by a roaring thunderclap. Ye Xiaoxuan shivered, his gaze fixed on the figure crouched beside the car.

The man remained motionless by the trunk, seemingly asleep.

From Ye Xiaoxuan’s vantage point, the figure was nothing but a shadow—if one didn’t look closely, it was hard to tell it was a person. Yet, in the dead of night, the sudden presence of this dark shape by the rear of the car was enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

He hadn’t expected to encounter a thief so soon after buying the car, barely a month ago. Even more surprising was that despite being the leader of the Bad Boys Alliance, someone still dared covet his belongings.

Ye Xiaoxuan slipped behind the door, grasped a wooden stick, and dashed out. He had intended to quietly approach the man, but the thief was unexpectedly alert and noticed him the moment he stepped outside.

Initially, the thief must have thought Ye Xiaoxuan had simply gotten up for a restroom break. But seeing him charge forward wielding a stick, the man realized his cover was blown and bolted. In just a few strides, he reached the wall, planted his right foot against it, and with a swift motion, vaulted over the two-meter-high courtyard wall.

A chill ran down Ye Xiaoxuan’s spine—this was no ordinary petty thief but a martial arts expert. By the time Ye Xiaoxuan opened the door to give chase, the man had vanished without a trace.

With such skills, this guy was capable of far more than petty theft. Judging by his stubbornness to stay despite the pouring rain, he didn’t seem like someone who failed at everything.

Ye Xiaoxuan closed the door behind him, puzzled. He glanced at the car, ready to rush back inside, but suddenly stopped.

Was this guy really here to steal the car? If so, why was he crouching near the trunk instead of trying to open the driver’s door?

If not to steal the car, then what was he doing by the vehicle? On impulse, Ye Xiaoxuan moved to the trunk. Just as lightning flashed, he noticed a keychain still inserted in the trunk lock.

No wonder the alarm never went off—the thief had stolen the key first!

Ye Xiaoxuan’s anger surged. Those keys were kept in his room. These thieves just waltzed in as they pleased—first Old Gou Qiqi, and now this guy, treating his room like it was their own living room.

He yanked the keys out. The thief must have been clumsy; after struggling for so long, nearly breaking the key without opening the trunk, it was clear this was a novice.

But why open the trunk? Was there something valuable inside?

Standing in the downpour, Ye Xiaoxuan carefully reinserted the key, gently twisted it, and the trunk creaked open.

What he saw inside shocked him. As the top gangster’s ride in the entire village, the trunk was cleaner than his own face—there wasn’t even a bottle of water.

Chen Tianlei, that stingy bastard, had cleaned everything out before selling the car! And that idiot thief… with nothing in the trunk, was he trying to steal a rubber mat?

Ye Xiaoxuan casually leaned in to take a look around. Just as he was about to close the trunk, a sudden sharp pain struck his forehead.

It felt as if he had stepped into a field charged with tens of thousands of volts. The pain radiated from his forehead, spreading through his entire body—aching and numb, unbearably uncomfortable.

He sat on the edge of the trunk, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to ease the pain. His eyes flicked upward, catching sight of a gleaming white object stuck to the inside of the trunk lid.

The interior was lined with yellowish-white foam padding, and the object was taped tightly in a corner, nearly invisible unless one was sitting inside the trunk.

Stifling the headache, Ye Xiaoxuan stood and peeled off the white item. It wasn’t very heavy but felt hard to the touch, roughly palm-sized. Wrapped in plastic, inside was a layer of yellow silk.

As he unfolded the silk, lightning streaked across the sky, and suddenly a radiant red light burst forth in his hand. A magnificent bird blazing with golden flames soared upward, circling above his head.

Ye Xiaoxuan instantly recalled the grand painting of a hundred birds paying homage to a phoenix hanging in his uncle’s home. This bird was none other than a phoenix.

At the same time, the dragon tattoo carved into Ye Xiaoxuan’s body began to glow. The golden dragon, once etched on his skin, detached itself and flew to join the phoenix.

The dragon and phoenix intertwined intimately, circling around Ye Xiaoxuan’s body. The sky brightened with their golden and fiery glow. Though the rain intensified, it never touched him, as if the pair enveloped him in a giant glass dome—shielding him from rain and wind alike.

“Xiao San, are you crazy? Why are you standing in the courtyard in this pouring rain?” Jiang Guihua stood inexplicably at the door of the main house, scolding Ye Xiaoxuan.

The dragon and phoenix vanished simultaneously, as if they had never appeared. Ye Xiaoxuan felt puzzled—was it all just an illusion? Why did it feel so vivid?

In his right hand was still the piece of silk wrapping a round object. Opening it revealed a purple-red bracelet.

The bracelet’s pattern clearly depicted a phoenix, identical to the one that had circled above earlier. Its material was unclear, but Ye Xiaoxuan sensed it was something quite extraordinary.

He carefully rewrapped the bracelet, closed the trunk, and hurried inside. He told Jiang Guihua, “This thing must be kept safe.”

Jiang Guihua held the bracelet, squeezing it, and asked curiously, “A bracelet? When did you get this?” She reached to open it.

Ye Xiaoxuan grabbed her hand firmly. “Mom, don’t ask so many questions and don’t look at it. This thing cannot be exposed to light. Just hide it well and don’t lose it.”

From the bed, Ye’s father grumbled, “Why worry so much, woman? Just put it in the black box.”

Jiang Guihua didn’t press further. She pulled out a large wooden chest from under the bed, wrapped in black animal hide. Using a key, she unlocked it and took out a wooden box.

She then opened the small wooden box with another key. Inside lay a piece of red cloth with a strap—like a traditional bellyband—and some other items. Before Ye Xiaoxuan could get a good look, Jiang Guihua placed the bracelet inside and locked it quickly.

For eighteen years, Ye Xiaoxuan’s greatest curiosity had been this black wooden chest. Since he could remember, it had never once been opened.

His parents treasured it more than their own lives and never opened it lightly. Ye Xiaoxuan had tried sneaking a peek when they were away, but the keys were never to be found.

Even so, any attempt to tamper with the box invariably earned him a severe beating from his father.

Tonight marked the first time the chest was opened in his presence. Though there was nothing valuable inside, it only fueled his curiosity further.

If it wasn’t valuable, why did his parents guard it like a precious treasure, never allowing him a glimpse?